Whistle Sports Signs With CAA Amid Push Into Longer-Form Video

Sports content company Whistle Sports has signed with talent agency CAA for representation.

The digital network, which reps the likes of YouTube superstars Dude Perfect and the F2 Freestylers, said that the partnership will seek to supercharge its expansion into mid- and long-form content creation via access to CAA’s resources in TV, film, digital media, sports, and beyond. Whistle’s relationship with CAA will be overseen by Dominic Ianno, its EVP of content finance and new initiatives.

“With CAA, we will redefine premium tier packages to raise the bar on quality content that ignites and engages today’s young audiences,” Ianno said in a statement. CAA also has a significant stronghold on the sports business, representing more than 1,700 of the world’s top athletes across football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, tennis, and golf. CAA helps these star athletes with respect to broadcast rights, marketing, licensing, sponsorships, and more.

Whistle Sports raised $28 million in a Series D round announced last June, led by London-based sports media giant Aser. To date, Whistle’s forays into longer-form content include the YouTube Premium travel soccer series F2 Finding Football (pictured above), as well as Olympic Outposts — which explores unexpected locations that have grown obsessed with sports — for the Olympic Channel.

In further evidence that it is turning its focus to original content, Whistle parted ways with CRO Paul Kelly in August, who had been in charge of branded content.